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The youngest of six children, a “change of life” baby, a sibling raised with grandchildren all describe my youth. Though on paper it sounds a bit exotic, it was a very pleasant childhood I was raised in the wheatfields of Oklahoma. My father was a cropduster and an aviator. My mother was a housewife who had the patience of Job. As our family grew and left home, the miles separated us but we felt a closeness within.
The eldest of the family, my sister Nelda, was married and had two sons before I was born. By the time I was nine, Nelda and her family(which consisted of three sons now) lived in Billings, Montana. I would spend my summers with them and it was such a joy to experience a different life style than that I had in Oklahoma. My home consisted of an airport and a house on 160 acres. By the age nine, all the other siblings were grown and had left home or was deeply considering it. In Billings, Nelda lived in a neighborhood with kids my own age, with sidewalks, with shopping malls, convenient stores, etc. I had stepped into a whole different world. I look back and I am so grateful, my parents gave me that time with my sister. My experiences were so many and I will treasure them all the days of my life. They are part of who I am.
I had never heard of a currant berry. One day Nelda did not just explain it to me but drove quite a distance in the country from where she lived to show me. We also picked the currants that day. I remember just driving along the road and stopping and picking them. I got stickers in my socks, in my hair, in my clothes, everywhere. I probably grumbled and griped along with the boys (my nephews) but in the end I think we had a good time. The real chore came when we took them home and made jam with them. Again, making jam was a first for me. Though it seemed overwhelming, I watched, participated when I was told, and grumbled again. But in the end, I remember when we tasted that jam on bread for the first time, I felt so proud to be a part of the process.
That is how God is with us. He takes us, helps us, shows us the way to use the fruits of our spirit. As humans, we grumble, we watch, sometimes we participate when we are told. If we follow God to the end process, we will be so proud that we choice to be part of that process.
“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” Galations 6:9 (NKJV)
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